April 25, 2016MIT jumps to second best university in the world for art and design

This year, MIT jumped from fourth to second highest ranked university globally, in art and design in the latest subject rankings from QS World University Rankings. MIT has also been named the top university in the world for architecture/built environment for the second year in a row. Ten other subject areas at MIT were ranked No. 1.

“This ranking is testament to the success of the MIT model of research and teaching and its global commitment to address complex societal problems,” says School of Architecture and Planning Dean Hashim Sarkis. “MIT’s impact is only possible through a combination of advanced research and broad interdisciplinary collaboration. The faculty, staff, and students are to be congratulated on all the hard work that leads to this recognition.”

According to survey sponsor Quacquarelli Symonds, an education organization based in the U.K., the annually published subject area rankings “aim to help prospective students identify the world’s leading schools in their chosen field.”

On the high ranking of the arts at MIT, Associate Provost Philip S. Khoury says:

“The arts thrive at MIT because of our commitment to cross-disciplinary study and to a curriculum based in experimentation and imaginative problem solving. Studying the arts, in combination with the extraordinary discoveries in science and engineering, prepares our students to make creative and innovative contributions in multiple fields.”

The QS rankings reflect academic reputation, reputation with employers, and research impact. Reputation measurements are based on surveys of academics and employers; the 2016 survey polled 76,798 academics from around the globe, along with 44,426 graduate employers.